I've Got This Friend
by DeliriousMess
Summary: Before there was "Ink and Petals" as a few of you know it, there was a version where Duke was the tattoo artist, and Jennifer was our florist. These take place in that version of this universe.
1. Chapter 1

Duke didn't know what opening a tattoo shop next to a florist would do to his business. Luckily, though, the flower shop didn't seem to have any effect on the number of clients who have visited.

If anything, the owner of the flower shop was the biggest threat to his business.

She was always walking passed the shop, flower arrangements in her arms, a giant smile on her face, and a kind word for anyone who happened to walk passed her.

How could a man get any work done when that was just right next door?

And then the mail service seemed incapable of figuring out who's mail goes where, so at least once a week, she was in his shop being…her.

The bells on the door jingled as they opened, letting Jennifer Mason in, all her flower-scented glory.

She grinned at him, "Afternoon, Mr. Crocker."

Duke glanced up from the sketch he was doing on the counter, and smirked at her, "Ms. Mason. Is that my mail in your hand, once again?"

Jennifer beamed at him, "It is."

She handed over his mail, and he could swear that she purposely let her fingers linger on his, at least if that glint in her eye meant anything.

"But…" she said, he put the mail into a bin under the counter, "I actually have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" Duke replied, straightening and looking her up and down, "And what would that be?"

"Dinner. Tonight." She said simply, "My place. I assume you know the way?"

"I—wait, what?" Duke said.

"That means 'yes'!" came several voices from the back of the shops.

"That doesn't sound like work!" Duke roared towards the back of the shop.

Jennifer giggled in front of him, pulling his attention back to her. He gave her a sly smile, "Tonight, huh? I dunno…that's kind of last minute."

Loud booing came from the back rooms.

"Get back to work!" Duke roared again.

"Just tell her you'll be there!" A particularly boisterous feminine voice yelled back.

"I am, but only if you all get back. To. Work!"

Jennifer beamed at him, "I'll see you then."

Duke turned back to her, "I—right, yes. I'll see you tonight."

The people in the back rooms started cheering loudly.


	2. Chapter 2

Duke had refused to close the shop early to get ready for his date with Jennifer. He was a business man, after all, and what would it say about how he ran his business if he closed up early every time a pretty brunette offered him dinner?

His employees, on the other hand, had a unifying different opinion.

"Crocker, I swear to whatever God there is, if you don't at least _change clothes_ before you go on this date, I will tattoo 'Dumbass' across your forehead in big, scrawling script," Holly, one of his most talented artists was saying as she lounged on one of the couches in the waiting area at the front of the shop.

"And leave you all to your own devices? I think not," Duke replied, leaning on the counter.

"Duke, I'm the _only_ one still here." Holly pointed out, gesturing to the darkened work rooms further into the shop. "Literally everyone else skipped out early to give you a chance to put some effort into your appearance for the cutie next door."

Duke adjusted his position against the counter, mumbling, "I don't remember telling them they could go."

" _Duke_." Holly said loudly and exasperatedly.

Duke rubbed his face, " _Fine_. Fine, Jesus, twist my arm why don't you."

"Oh, I'm thinking of some kind of violence to your person, make no mistake." Holly laughed, standing and stretching. As she brought her arms back down to her sides, she glanced at him, "You're trying to figure out what to take to give her, aren't you?"

Duke looked to his right as he absentmindedly tapped the counter with his middle finger, "…No."

Holly rolled her eyes, "Just go to the drug store, grab a bottle of wine and call it good."

Once Holly had left, and he'd "put some effort" into his appearance "for the cutie next door," he'd done just that. As he was standing in line to check out, he noticed chocolate roses were on sale. He grinned as he grabbed one and added it to his purchase.


	3. Chapter 3

Duke showed up at her apartment at a quarter to six, and he couldn't be certain, but he thought he smelled something burning.

Just as he was about to knock on her door, a fire alarm started to go off, as well as a very audible swear from inside the apartment.

Duke went to open the door, only to have it open for him as Jennifer pulled the door open, a plume of smoke following after her. She was wearing an apron over her dress, and, under different circumstances, would look comically like a 50s housewife. She coughed and tried to smile at him, "Oh! You're early!"

He looked from her to behind her towards the kitchen and the smoke, and back, "Are you okay?"

She coughed again, waving him away, "Oh yeah, this is…this is just a part of the process."

He smiled at her, "Uh-huh. You, uh, you smoking something? Because I don't think this is the way to do it."

She laughed back at him, "Right. Why, uh, why don't you come in while I get this cleaned up, and then we'll figure out what to do for dinner?"

Duke nodded and followed after her, closing the door carefully behind him.

She pointed to her right, "You can sit in the living room while get this figured out; I'm really sorry, this wasn't what I had planned."

"Don't worry about it," he called after her as he placed the wine bottle and the chocolate rose on the coffee table.

"The meal wasn't what I was looking forward to anyway," He said quietly as he looked around her small living room. There was a green sofa on the wall to his right, facing the windows and the rather impressive stereo system in the corner.

Duke looked through music collection; she had varied tastes.

"See anything you like?" she said behind him. He turned to see her leaning against the door frame, the apron now gone to reveal a plum, one shouldered dress, with a flower-lace overlay and a slightly billowy skirt.

He grinned at her, "As a matter of fact I do."

She blushed at him, "I _meant_ of my music?"

"Ah," he nodded, still smiling at her. He turned back to her music collection, "You have varied tastes."

She stepped away from the door frame to join him in the living room, standing close behind him, "When I was little I used to want to be a singer; guess I never really grew out of it."

"You sing?" he asked.

"Mm-hm." She replied, moving her hand to place it just next to his on the row of CDs, just close enough to place her thumb on the back of his hand. He looked at her and she smiled at him, "Maybe I'll sing something for you some time."


	4. Chapter 4

Happens after they eventually get together.

The bells on the shop door jingled open, forcing Duke to look up at the doors from the paperwork he was filling out on the counter. He smiled when he saw who it was. Jennifer beamed at him as she walked to the counter, setting the pan of brownies next to the paperwork.

"Hi!" she grinned as she placed her hands on the counter and lifted herself up so that her face was on his level.

He chuckled at her, "Hey,"

He kissed her as she smiled at him. She lowered herself back down to the floor, still grinning at him before she grabbed the pan again and held them up for him, "Brownie?"

His eyebrows quirked up momentarily in surprise before he took one of the bars from the pan, "Here I thought I was dating a florist, not a baker; what's the occasion?"

Jennifer grabbed one for herself, giving him a confused look, "It's Holly's birthday today,"

Duke's brow furrowed in confusion as Jennifer called towards the back of the shop. Holly came out, still holding her sketchbook, and pushed her glasses higher on her head, "Yeah, what's—Jen! Hey!"

Jennifer held the pan out for her, "Happy Birthday!"

Holly pressed a hand to her heart, grinning at her, "Oh you sweetheart, you didn't have to—"

"It's your birthday?" Duke asked from behind the counter.

Holly shot him a glare as he moved to stand behind Jennifer, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist and leaning back against the counter, "Yes, Duke, it's my birthday."

"Why didn't—?"

"You didn't ask." Holly replied, simply. Holly took the pan from Jennifer and kissed her cheek, "Thanks, darlin'. You're too good for the idiot who's arms're around you."

"Hey, watch it! This idiot writes your paychecks!" He called after her, only to receive a dismissive wave over Holly's shoulder and a light elbow into his stomach from the woman in his arms.

She glared up at him, "Oh stop it, it's her birthday."

"Apparently," Duke commented as she turned so that her arms were around him, "Which begs the question: How do you know my employees' birthdays?"

"Oh well, see it's all a part of my grand plan," She said, pulling at the lapel of his shirt, "I figure I can slowly make friends with all your employees, and then, in a grand coup—and I'm talkin' _grand_ —like with rock ballads and everything—maybe fireworks, I haven't decided—I'll over throw you, seize control of the shop, and finally achieve my _real_ dream of owning both a flower shop _and_ a tattoo parlor."

He smiled down at her, bowing his head to kiss her again, "Incredibly sinister; and here I thought you were with me for my looks,"

"Oh, well, that's just a bonus," she smiled back, rising on her toes slightly to meet him halfway.

He brought a hand up from her waist to cup her cheek, as she moved her arms to wrap around his neck to pull him further down to her level. When they broke apart, she nuzzled her nose against his, still smiling, but suddenly looking apprehensive about something. He pulled back from her slightly, to get a better look at her, and narrowed his eyes at her, "What."

She tried to shrug dismissively, "Nothing, it's just…"

She trailed off, and released him to pace away from him.

"Is this going to be a talk that's going to make me wish I was drunk? Because if so, I'd much prefer putting that off," he said after her.

She turned back to him, smiling nervously, "No, no, it's nothing like that. Well, _I_ don't think it is. It's what _you'll_ think that's making me nervous."

He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of him, waiting for her to elaborate.

She fiddled with her hands, "It's just…okay, so I've been talking to Holly—"

"That sounds dangerous." Duke commented.

She mockingly narrowed her eyes at him, before continuing, "—and I wanted to ask you if you'd…if you'd tattoo me."

On the rather long list of possible things that Jennifer could want to ask him for or talk to him about, that was decidedly _not_ one of them.

"What?" was all Duke could manage to verbalize.

"See I've wanted an underbust tattoo for a really long time," She started to explain, speaking rapidly and closing the distance between them, "and I've been talking to Holly—just to help conceptualize it since that's been the real struggle—and I know that the skin there is extra sensitive so it'll hurt more, but that's what I want—and I would've talked to you about it, but I didn't want you to get nervous about it—but I want _you_ to be the one who does it—and I'll pay full price; no "Boss's Girlfriend" discount—I just…please say something."

She'd reached up to touch his face, and that was what pulled him out of his shocked silence. He placed his hand over hers, pressing her palm to his cheek and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, and studied her. She looked anxious but hopeful, and her eyes were flickering between his, looking for some sort of sign.

Tattoos hurt, he knew she knew that, and he certainly wasn't a stranger to it, and while it wasn't an _excruciating_ kind of pain, it was still more than he wanted to put her through. Ever. For any reason. But the thought of someone _else_ doing it, even someone in his shop, and someone _else_ seeing her like that—that was out of the question. If he did it, he'd have more control over it; not much, but there'd be more than he'd have otherwise.

He sighed and kissed her palm, "If you really want one—especially one like _that_ —then of course I'll do it."

Her face lit up as she smiled at him, mouth opened slightly in surprise. She jumped slightly to wrap her arms back around his neck and into his arms, "Oh thank you! Thank you so much!"

He let out a breath of a laugh, holding her close, "Oh like I'd let anyone else tattoo my girl."

She laughed lightly and kissed his neck slightly, "Your 'girl,' huh?"

"Mm-hm," he responded as she pulled back to look at him, still in his arms, "And my girl doesn't pay me for tattooing her."

"Duke—" she started, tone chastising.

"You can pay Holly for the consultation if you _really_ want, but I'm not taking your money." He cut her off.

She glared at him as he grinned at her, "Besides, I'm sure there are _other_ ways you can pay me back."

She rolled her eyes at him and began some sarcastic in response, but he kissed her again, and she didn't really bother trying to fight him for it.


	5. Chapter 5

Duke sat on the floor in front of Jennifer's couch, his sketchbook propped up on his thigh with his shin pressing into the coffee table as he worked on a piece for a new customer. He'd shed his button down shirt, leaving him in a gray tank top, and absently curled his toes into the carpet as he paused in his work. He tilted his head as he looked back over what he had so far, his brow furrowing in agitation, only to be momentarily distracted as he heard Jennifer humming to herself in the kitchen as she washed the dishes and made them some tea.

He closed his eyes and focused on her humming, trying to figure out if he knew the song she was singing.

" _Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do._ " He heard her sing clearly in front of him. He opened his eyes and saw her place a mug on the table in front of him, just to the right of his knee.

He smiled up at her, grabbing at the hem of her skirt and tugging on it gently, "That a request?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Well if you're gonna twist my arm about it,"

He chuckled as she leaned down and placed a light kiss on his lips, her free hand touching his throat gently. She curled her fingers against his skin there and earned a pleased noise out of Duke. She giggled as she pulled away enough to press her forehead to his, and run her knuckles gently along his jawline, his eyes half lidded and his sketchbook forgotten.

She kissed his forehead before she climbed onto the couch just behind him and letting her left leg hang over his shoulder, trying to be careful not to hinder his work, "What'cha workin' on, darlin'?"

Duke sighed as he focused back on his book, "A piece for a client. She's coming back in tomorrow to see what I've got so far and I've been… _distracted_ lately."

She narrowed her eyes at him, barely containing a smile, "I don't think I like what you're implying."

"I'm not implying _anything_." He replied, tilting his head back to smile at her.

"Mm-hm." She replied skeptically around a drink of her tea, scratching at his head with her left hand.

"Like that." Duke mumbled, his eyes sliding closed, "That's very distracting."

She chuckled at him, pulling her hand away from his head and letting him sit back up, as she placed her mug on the end table to her left. She grabbed the basket of discarded flowers that she'd brought up from the shop and set it next to her on the couch, "Well if you followed the 'Don't bring work home with you' rule, you wouldn't be 'distracted,' you'd be 'enjoying the company of your especially physically affectionate girlfriend.'"

"Jennifer, we _live_ above our work; there's no where else to take it _but_ home." Duke commented, he tilted his head back momentarily and made a point of looking at the basket next to her, "Besides, I'll follow your rule, when you do."

She sneered at him mockingly, earning a laugh out of Duke as he turned back to his sketchbook.

"You're damn right you'll turn back to your stupid sketchbook, ya dumb artist," she mumbled behind him as she started pulling some of the smaller flowers out of the basket.

He chuckled again, picking up where he left off on his sketch. There was a pause between them, Jennifer humming that song from earlier quietly behind him and the only sounds he was making were that of his pencil on his paper. Every once in a while, he'd rub the knuckles of his left hand gently against Jennifer's calf, earning contended sighs from her.

Soon, he felt her lightly tug at the hair band at the base of his skull, once it was gone, he felt her run her fingers through his hair, causing a shiver to run through him that comes from your hair being moved from a position it's been in for a long time.

He didn't have to look at her to know she smiled once the shiver passed, and he felt her sectioning his hair. He sighed, in part because of how nice her fingers felt running through his hair, but mostly because he knew that she was going to braid his hair. Again.

And she had a basket of flowers next to her.

It didn't take a mathematician to do that math.

"Jennifer?"

"Hm?" she replied sweetly behind him.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" He asked, hoping that maybe she was just playing with his hair and that he was just being paranoid.

"Y'know, I think I _romanticized the time I saw, flowers in your hair_ ," She sang at him.

"O-kay." Duke said, dragging out the "o."

" _Cause it takes a boy to live, but it takes a man to pretend he was there_." She continued, apparently finishing the braid and tying off with the hairband.

"What are you doing," He laughed at her as she climbed off the couch and over him, forcing him to set his sketchbook aside.

She held her hand out for him and pulled him to his feet, still singing and swinging his arm to get him to dance with her, " _Be in my eyes. Be in my heart. Be in my eyes, ai yai yai, be in my heart._ "

He rolled his eyes at her, before singing back, " _'Cause it takes a man to live, but it takes a woman to make him compromise._ "


End file.
